The invention relates generally to welding systems, and, more particularly, to a hybrid wire feeder for use in a welding system.
Welding is a process that has increasingly become ubiquitous in various industries and applications. While such processes may be automated in certain contexts, a large number of applications continue to exist for manual welding operations. Such welding operations rely on a variety of types of equipment to ensure the supply of welding consumables (e.g., wire feed, shielding gas, etc.) is provided to the weld in an appropriate amount at the desired time. For example, metal inert gas (MIG) welding typically relies on a wire feeder to ensure a proper wire feed reaches a welding torch.
Oftentimes, such wire feeders rely on the welding power supply output to power wire feeder operations, such as wire jogs, gas purges, display power, and so forth. Unfortunately, such an arrangement requires the welding power supply to remain active during non-welding periods (e.g., standby periods, periods prior to weld initiation, etc.) to ensure the power demands of the wire feeder are met. Furthermore, since the wire feeder often relies on the welding power source for energy, the wire feeder is typically configured to function solely with power supplies of the same brand. Such features limit the efficiency and utility of traditional wire feeders. Accordingly, there exists a need for wire feeder systems that overcome these drawbacks.